I currently have a front sway bar from an 86 Monte SS on my '78 El Camino, is this as good as the F Body bars?

Well, I believe the thickest factory sway bar on an f-body is 32mm. You could measure the bar you have now and compare it.

B.T.W 32mm is 1.260 inches. :D

The largest bar available is the 36mm hollow bar. I got mine off a GTA Trans Am with WS6 suspension and have not yet installed it...maybe overkill. If you come across a 36mm or even a 32mm at the right price, get it, but even the OEM bar off the SS is an improvement over no sway bar. I would also try and find the other F41 front suspension pieces that help triangulate the frontend and improve strength and handling. They consist of the fender to radiator core support bars, the jounce bars (if not already installed) and the bar that connects the jounce bars from frame rail to frame rail that was only available on G-body Grand Prixs...I got one for $20 bucks at a local You-Pull-It boneyard. A lot of these pieces are still available at local boneyards currently and are usually pretty cheap, but the cars are getting crushed, so get em while their hot before their gone!

Hi guys,

I got the front sway bar, rear sway bar, and skid plate to frame bars off of the Monte SS. I also got the "Regal" bar that runs under the radiator to triangulate the whole mess. I had one of the fender to core mount bars but could never find the other.
I know what you mean about these cars going fast. I have recently returned to my local junkyards only to find that these are going quickly. I did manage to get a hood from one before the crushing began.
I will check the diameter of my Monte bar, I take it that this is diameter instead of circumference?

I will check the diameter of my Monte bar, I take it that this is diameter instead of circumference?
Yes, it's the diameter. You'd be surprised how much weight difference there is between the MCSS solid front bar and the F-body 36mm hollow bar.

I just installed the 36mm hollow bar from a WS6 car, and it is a night and day difference in performance. Car is very flat in the turns. I pulled it from a car at the junk yard, and it cost something like $18.

i just pulled a rear sway bar off a monte and now i want one for the front. does anyone have a pick of one so i can see if i might already have one or not. did any of the elkys come stock with one?

Here's a link to a pic of one not installed and yes some Elkys had them some didn't...if your's came with the F-41 suspension option then it probably has it installed. Here's the link to the pic----> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Monte-Carlo-SS-Front-sway-bar-83-88_W0QQitemZ200044988532QQihZ010QQcategoryZ33592QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is also a 34mm hollow bar.


You will need to take the bushings as well.


The f-body bar is slightly narrower and takes a little work to get the bolts started.

The f-body bar is slightly narrower and takes a little work to get the bolts started.I think you mean bigger in diameter, but lighter in weight...that's the whole point in using the 34mm or 36mm hollow front sway bar off an F-body. As far as using the old bushings...toss them and get a polyurethane set from Kirban Performance for a Grand National part#7111 $22.95 (36mm), use the frame mounting brackets off a G-body and install new end links with polyurethane bushings as well (available at most auto parts stores). This would be the ultimate front sway bar setup for your Elky and if you find and remove an F-body 36mm bar yourself at a boneyard, the total cost should be less than $100 bucks including having the sway bar media blasted and powder coated (even cheaper if you sand and paint the bar). Buying a new bar or from someone selling on Ebay will substantially drive up the cost.

The f-body bar is slightly narrower and takes a little work to get the bolts started.I think you mean bigger in diameter, but lighter in weight...



No I mean narrower. The F-bod bar is narrower than the g-bod one by just a little. Just enough that part of the bend in the bar actually sits in the bushing just enough that it takes some finagaling to get the bolts to run in without stripping them.